


Back to Wessex

by Brunhild



Category: Vikings TV - Fandom
Genre: Gen, Vikings TV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-14
Updated: 2014-04-14
Packaged: 2018-01-19 10:25:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1465945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brunhild/pseuds/Brunhild
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ragnar and his crew travel to Wessex to search for Athelstan. If they find Athelstan, would he come back to Kattegat with Ragnar and his family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Back to Wessex

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own these charactures.

"Do you think that Athelstan would be willing to come back with us father" asked Bjorn as he looked up to his father Ragnar Lothbrok as he stood staring out into the open sea.  
"I don't know Bjorn, all I can do is ask him. If he choses to stay in England I will not force him to come back with us. He is a free man and I will respect his wishes."  
"If you ask me, he should have stayed in England to start with" said Rollo as he sat back and put his arms around one of the shieldmaidens.  
"Nobody asked you brother" said Ragnar as he looked in Rollo's direction. Rollo realizing that he had said the wrong thing to Ragnar made no attempt reply to Ragnar's words. Rollo knew that he was lucky to be asked to raid with his brother after he had fought against him in Gotaland.  
Ragnar had only taken three ships this time. They had planned to raid along the coast of England first and then go to King Ecbert's kingdom Wessex to find Athelstan. Athelstan had stayed behind to help King Horik. During a raid on King Horik's encampment, Athelstan had been captured by King Ecbert's soldiers. After Athelstan's capture, King Horik had sailed back to Kattegat. King Horik had casually dismissed Athelstan's capture by the English. The loss of Athelstan had angered Ragnar. King Horik could not say whether Athelstan had just been captured or captured and killed. During the time that Athelstan had been with him, Ragnar regarded the young man as a part of his family, which meant that he must find out what happened to Athelstan. He had went to the seer to ask him about Athelstan's fate. The seer said that Athelstan was still alive somewhere. This gave Ragnar hope that the young priest may be found again. Ragnar turned over many thoughts in his mind as he tried to relax.  
"What is on your mind Ragnar" asked Lagertha as she handed him an apple.  
"I was just thinking about Athelstan, that's all. I miss him so much."  
"Ragnar, don't worry, if he is alive we will find him." Ragnar was glad that Lagertha had decided to come with him to England. When she had found out about Athelstan being captured, she had gotten upset. She pledged to go to England and help find Athelstan. Ragnar was excited to be raiding with Lagertha again. They had began forming a plan at once. Princess Aslaug was mad about Ragnar going to England with his ex-wife. Secretly Aslaug was jealous of Lagertha because she was a shieldmaiden. Aslaug's mother had been the shieldmaiden Brunhildr. Men always admired and respected shieldmaidens. Princess Aslaug had told Ragnar about her concerns about him going off to England with his ex-wife. He reminded his wife that if not for Lagertha coming to their aid, that his kingdom might have been lost. Aslaug would do well to remember too that he had once been married to Lagertha and she had bore his children. There would always be a bond the two of them would share divorced or not.  
Bjorn and Rollo looked over at Ragnar and Lagertha as the two of them talked. Ragnar looked around him. He saw his son and brother in front of him. Lagertha beside him. He thought about how fortunate he was that he had his family with him once again. He felt like a man blessed by the gods.  
After a light dinner, Ragnar and his crew talked until the stars came out. Tired from the long day, he and Lagertha found a cozy spot on the boat and went to sleep in each other's arms.

 

The raids along the English coastline had been successful. No men lost and there had been a large amount of treasure found. One of the places raided was the building where coins were minted. Plenty of gold and silver were found there. After the coastal raids, Ragnar and his crew arrived on the shores of Wessex four days later. It was evening when the ships reached King Ecbert's kingdom. Ragnar told his crew that they would go ashore tomorrow and set up a small encampment before going out to search for Athelstan. 

 

Athelstan had worked at the church all day long. He had helped the brothers with a book of gospels for the local church. Athelstan was happy to be doing this type of work in church again. He preferred task such as this to raiding and killing his fellow man. Despite being back in England and belonging to church again, he missed his old life in Kattegat. He missed the people mostly, especially Ragnar and his family. He had began to think of them as his family too. England had many of the things that he had missed like his favorite foods, books, paper, the gospels and formal education but what Athelstan missed could not be measured like material wealth. He missed the sense of belonging he shared with his new family. Athelstan thought about these things as he went into the room that King Ecbert had allocated for him to study and transcribe the ancient scrolls that the king had in his possession. Athelstan had sat and studied for a few hours when he noticed a knock at the window. He looked over to see where the knock came from. He looked to his left and found a raven staring him in the eye. The bird flapped his wings excitedly and flew away. Athelstan thought about the bird and what it's presence could mean. Ragnar said that ravens knew things that others did not know and that they were sent by Odin himself. Athelstan was tired from his days work. He decided to go walking along the shore before he retired to his quarters for the night. King Ecbert's guards knew that he often took walks along the beach every evening so it would be no problem. The shore was down the hill from King Ecbert's estate. Athelstan walked out into the fresh night air. It was almost dark now, he would have to hurry if he wanted to walk along the beach and get back before dark. He quickly made his way to the beach. He enjoyed seeing the seagulls coming ashore and watching the tide roll in. He walked along the shore for a while and had gotten ready to go back to King Ecbert's estate when he saw three ships coming toward him. He recognized the ships at once. The ships with the blood red sails and dragon's head mast came closer to the shore. He recognized the taller lead ship at once. It belonged to Ragnar Lothbrok. Seeing the ship, Athelstan became excited. He wondered what was Ragnar doing here.  
Ragnar's eyes searched the shoreline. He thought he saw a familiar sight. There on the shore was a dark-haired young man waving at the ships.  
"Look Ragnar, that looks like Athelstan" said Lagetha as she stood to get a better look at the young man.  
"That is Athelstan" said Rollo.  
Ragnar smiled as he saw the young man. Athelstan was quite shocked at seeing the ships approach. He could not believe his eyes. The ships were not an illusion after all. Ragnar's ship came close to the shoreline and the other's remained at sea. Athelstan slowly walked out into the water where Ragnar's boat had stopped just short of the shoreline. Ragnar got out of the boat and ran toward the young priest. Athelstan walked into Ragnar's open arms. The two were excited to see one another.  
"Athelstan, I thought I would never see you again, I thought you were lost to us forever. Are you okay, did they hurt you?" asked Ragnar as he noticed wounds on Athelstan's arms.  
"I am okay, they did not hurt me too badly" said Athelstan as he walked with Ragnar back to the ship. He decided to tell Ragnar what had happened to him on the way back to Kattegat. He continued to the ship, Ragnar helped him climb up and Bjorn helped him climb into the ship. --  
"Bjorn--is that you? You have changed so much I almost did not recognize you." Bjorn reached over and hugged the priest.  
"Welcome back Athelstan, I am so glad that we found you, I thought that I would never see you again." The two young men stood back and looked at one another. Lagertha walked over to Athelstan and gave him a big hug. "It is good to see you again Athelstan.  
"It is good to see you as well" said Athelstan as Lagertha turned his face to kiss his cheek. The young monk blushed at the attention. Rollo and Bjorn smirked when they saw Athelstans reaction to Lagertha's kiss. Athelstan found a place next to Ragnar to sit.  
"So I take it that you are going back with us then?" asked Rollo jokingly.  
"Of course I am coming with you" said Athelstan. "My home is not in England anymore, it is in Kattegat. That is where my family is." The young priest looked at Ragnar, Lagertha and Bjorn when he spoke.  
"You did not wish to go back and get your things then? laughed Ragnar. Athelstan rolled up his sleeve and showed Ragnar his silver arm ring. The one that he had earned in his first raid. "This is the only possession that I care enough to take with me." Ragnar was surprised that the young priest still had his arm ring. Ragnar had seen the wounds on Athelstan's arms. He wanted to ask Athelstan about the wounds but decided that now was not the time, he would ask him later when it was just the two of them. If the English had tortured Athelstan, he vowed that they would pay dearly.  
"What will King Ecbert say when he finds you gone Athelstan?" asked Ragnar. Thorstein and Floki looked at the young man, curious about his answer.  
"I don't know what he would say and I don't really care, I just want to go back to Kattegat." Lagertha and Ragnar looked at one another.  
"Athelstan, we had came to Wessex to find you." said Lagertha. Then Ragnar spoke.  
"We were going to set-up a camp here and look for you, but you found us. Now that we have found one another, we can all go home."  
"This time when you get to Kattegat, keep your ass there from now on" said Rollo as he walked over and hit the young man on the shoulder almost knocking him off of his seat. Floki walked over and shook the young man's hand and welcomed him back as did Thorstein. The others on the ship silently stared and whispered about the young priest. Athelstan sat quietly as the ship began to leave the shores of Wessex. The ships slowly sailed out into the darkness and into the open sea as a raven flew overhead. Before they lost sight of the shoreline, Ragnar and Athelstan noticed two men on horseback looking into the night watching the open sea as the dragon's head ships sailed into the night.


End file.
